One thought on “Partners”

You and your members provide us will a tremendous service when we are at our busiest. The reports your group collects during and after severe thunderstorms, winter storms, and flooding events make our products and services better. We appreciate the time and resources you volunteer in order to fulfill the important work of your group. Please relay our appreciation to all of your members.

Over the past six years we have seen our communication with our Skywarn spotter groups improve with the use of NWSChat. To keep this communication channel clear and direct, we have reserved NWSChat accounts for the net control operators of our Skywarn spotter groups. During these years, we were under the impression that each group was represented with appropriate number of NWSChat accounts. However, since 2014, we have seen an increase in the number of amateur radio operators requesting NWSChat accounts. The vetting of these requests takes time and has resulted in the denial of 75 percent of the received requests. To streamline the vetting process, we would like each group to provide us with their primary point of contact(s) and a list of their net control operators (ideally two members). A compiled list of net control operators will be a valuable resource when an NWSChat account request is received. Basically, if the requester is on the list, they have a better chance of being added to NWSChat, particularly if there is a loss of a net control operator within their organization.

Please send the names of your group’s net control operators to Jake Wimberley (Jacob.Wimberley@noaa.gov), local HAM Radio Liaison. Again, thank you in advance of our upcoming severe thunderstorm season: http://www.weather.gov/gsp/GSPSevereClimo.